As Eastern enters another school year, the population of diverse students has grown almost 10 percent, according to EWU’s Full Time Enrolled Students Headcount by Ethnic Diversity Day 10 Census.

According to the EWU census, the gender diversity for fall quarter 2014 is split nearly in half. Of the 13,453 students counted, 44 percent of them are males and 56 percent are females.

The EWU website states that, during the 2013-2014 school year, nearly 1 in 3 freshmen were members of a minority group. This makes Eastern one of the most diverse college campuses in the Pacific Northwest.

Eastern’s diverse student numbers have grown in the 2014-2015 school year, according to EWU associate vice president for Enrollment Management Neil Woolf, Ed.D.

“We’ve had a year-to-year growth in diversity,” said Woolf.

Eastern’s census of full-time students for fall quarter 2014 shows that almost half of students enrolled are part of minority ethnic groups. The census shows that 64.42 percent out of 13,453 students are white while the remaining 35.58 percent are members of other ethnic groups.

The number of ethnically diverse students has risen since last year, according to the EWU website. During the 2013-2014 school year, student diversity was only 27 percent.

Eastern’s census showed, out of the students enrolled for fall quarter 2014, 13.17 percent are  Hispanic/Latino, 1.24 percent are American Indian or Alaska Native, 2.94 percent are Asian, 3.21 percent are Black or African American, 0.28 percent or Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander and 4.49 percent are two or more races.

“As we grow and diversify, it’s just a great energy and it’s good for the institution,” said Woolf.

Sophomore Myranda Curtis said she thought Eastern would be a better fit for her.

“My other school wasn’t really a student helping sort of school, and I think Eastern’s faculty is more willing to help me finish and get a career afterwards,” said Curtis.

Woolf said he is excited for students to experience the opportunities that Eastern has to offer them.

“To be able to know that we’re giving both a good education and student life experience and then to see new people come to want that, it’s pretty exciting,” said Woolf.